Nights of Love
by Tearless Soul
Summary: Castle and Kate go through roller coaster moments that ultimately decide the fate of their relationship as partners and friends. As months pass by, they find themselves in situations they thought they would never face.
1. Chapter 1

After a very long, and I mean LONG, absence from Fan Fiction (years), I've decided to give myself another shot at writing stories. This is my very first Castle Fic so guys please be patient and understanding. Hopefully, the flow of writing will come back to me. This idea came to me after listening to Papa Roach's song called Night of Love. Enjoy!

* * *

He sat with a paper cup in his hand. Time seemed to stand still for him, frozen at this very point in time. He heard things but wasn't very sure what he heard. There was the occasional sound of the speakers asking for doctors to call the main office, or families silently whispering prayers of hope to whatever God they believed in. Nurses, doctors and families all seemed to be moving at lightning speed, trying to find answers to the most heart-stopping situations.

Not him.

His reflection revealed defeat. He was tired of this life. There was no way in hell he was going to be able to continue living on like this. Sure, without this life he wouldn't be who he was. The playboy persona was getting old; it wasn't what appealed to him anymore. He needed to be better, better than any person he could ever dream of; fame and money wasn't enough. They were necessities sure, but it wasn't what made his life so enjoyable. No, there were other things, other people he could think of to fill that need. He sighed, letting out a breath that he was sure he'd been holding for a while.

He hated this place; it gave him too much time think. He hated right now. All he could think about were the events that led them to this point on time. How could he ever forgive himself for what happened? With shaky hands, he raised his cup to his chapped lips. Slowly, the cold coffee made its way down his throat, making it the millionth time he wished there was something better to drink. This wish wouldn't make it enough for him to leave, it wasn't important. Slowly, robotically, he glanced at his watch.

4:35 AM

'Great, another 24 hours', he thought. He slowly peeked at the white room in front of him. He watched hopelessly, wishing that his eyes would register any kind of movement, even if it was a subtle one. After a few minutes, he gave up. She wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, but it didn't hurt to keep an eye out for any improvements. Any sign of life would just make his day feel a little better.

He slowly rose and took small strides to the other side of the hallway. He looked at the trash can in front of him and tossed his now crumpled and empty cup inside. Looking down the hall, he spotted a window. His tired feet dragged him to it, providing some kind of view of what the world was like. Did it change in the last week and a half? He hasn't been able to enjoy the warm summer air, fearing his departure from this place would signify her departure from this world. His hands balled up into fists, arms against his body, and eyes staring at the bleak world before him. So much has happed in the last few months and he wonders if fate had somehow punished them for what they had done. Why was fate so cruel? Why was destiny trying to interfere? She may not believe in magic or soul mates, but he believed in it. He thought fate has a funny way to bring this together, no matter what the consequences. He wasn't sure if his belief was appropriate at this point in his life anymore.

He tore his gaze away from the window and went back to his chair. Looking up at the ceiling, he saw that there were about 2,678 dots in this tile right above him. Why was he counting such ridiculous things you might ask? It's simple; he had nothing better to do. He was helpless, sitting here watching the days go by ever so slowly. Every once in a while, he would get up and try to act normal. If it were up to him, he would remain by her side. But it wasn't up to him, his will crumbled. He hated being in that quiet, white room. It was too much and so he had to separate himself before he went ballistic. He would probably end up yelling at someone, to answer the question of why wasn't she awake yet. Every time he looked at her pale face, he thought she would smile and open her eyes. His imagination made him believe she would sit up and laugh at him for being so girly, so soft.

He closed his eyes, trying to fight back the tears that fought to be released. He wanted nothing more than for this to be a dream, a nightmare he could wake up from. It was way too much grief for him to deal with, especially when others were trying to be strong for her. It seemed that he was the only one having trouble trying to keep his emotions in check. He knew he should be the one comforting others, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He needed someone to tell him that it would be okay, that nothing was going to happen. Someone needed to tell him that his fears were nothing but childish ideas. Although his friends did tell him this, he wasn't convinced. He needed to hear her voice; her angelic melody would fight away his demons. His angel of justice would vanquish all his devils and bring back peace of mind.

His mind would only think of moments of bliss and fear, moments where they became one and moments where she was gone. They faced the obstacles together and this made them stronger. This proved that they had so much more to fight for, so much ahead of them.

Finally breaking, he got up and walked into the pale room. He looked at her figure, so small and weak. Slowly, he walked towards her and held his breath. His hand stretched a fraction of an inch out towards her, his heart beating erratically. Her sleeping face revealed nothing as his steps took him closer to her. How could she reveal anything? She was gone for now, but he wouldn't see it that way. She was just resting in some place where she belonged, she would be back soon.

Finally touching her skin, his shaking fingers tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He let out the breath that he'd been holding, fearing that she would break under his touch. He thought back of all that had happened, everything that led to this point in time. He stood up and looked out the window.

They tried, they really did. They didn't want to hurt either one of them, but what was done was done. There was no turning back…

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Yes, I know. No info as to what the heck is going on, no names or answers. Don't worry that's my plan but hopefully I've given enough suspense to keep you interested. Currently working on the next chapter, hopefully it'll be up this weekend. Thanks and reviews are appreciated. (Especially to help me fix mistakes or give ideas! :D )

P.S. Thanks to Tycho 77 for reviewing this! xo


	2. Chapter 2

Ok so here's the next chapter. So just to set the timeline so you guys don't get confused, the previous chapter was what I like to call the 'present'. This chapter and on basically tells the story of how our characters got to where they are. Oh and for the record, Kate is still with Josh and Rick with Gina. Yeah I know, it sucks but it'll be worth it later. ( I hope :/ )

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CASTLE! (If I did, I'd be a happy camper! :D)

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_4 Months Earlier…_

'**Beep! Beep! Beep!'**

Kate Beckett's sleep was once again disturbed by the obnoxious sound of her alarm clock. It was a cloudy and chilly February morning and she was in no mood for games. She turned and saw that her clock displayed 6:45 AM in big bright red letters. Having enough of the beeping, she reached over and slammed her hand on the clock. When all was quiet, she could hear the distant honking of New Yorkers rushing to get to work on time. Yeah, it was another typical New York morning. With a sigh, she removed her covers and went towards her bathroom. After brushing her teeth, she turned on her water and took a quick shower. Getting dressed and grabbing her keys, she took one last glance at her apartment. By 7:15 she was out the door ready to face this new day.

After dealing with morning traffic, Beckett finally made it to the 12th Precinct. As she walked out of the elevator, she saw that everybody was busy doing something. Even if it was just filing paperwork, everyone seemed busy. This reminded her of why she was here. She made her way to her desk and saw her breakfast.

"Castle..." she said with a smile. Leave it to him to make sure she ate something in the morning, even if it's just a small breakfast. Opening the bag, she took out her bear claw and grabbed her coffee. Taking a bite, she saw that everyone was really busy this morning and made her feel as if she was being lazy. It wasn't that she didn't have anything to do; it's just that they closed their case yesterday. The only thing she had to do today was just to finish the darn paperwork, that's if a body didn't drop today. Instead of just doing nothing, she sat down and began filling out her files. A good two hours later, she heard the one voice she expected to hear since she walked through the elevator this morning.

"Well, good morning detective." Kate looked up and was met with shiny blue eyes and a radiant smile. She felt something in her stomach, a warm feeling that was coursing through her veins and boy did it feel good. Maybe it was because the smile he always displayed to her whenever they were together made her feel all mushy inside. She didn't know what it was, but she shook them away. She couldn't feel that, she was with Josh! This wasn't normal, but whatever. He was here and in typical Castle fashion, he plopped down in his seat next to her desk.

"'Morning Castle, didn't see you when I came in. You aren't hiding from me are you?"She asked as a smirk began to appear on her face.

"Oh on the contrary, I would very much love to hide with you. You know, from everyone else and where we could…" he didn't finish because Beckett had stuffed his mouth with her bear claw. She rolled her eyes and muttered something along the lines of 'in your dreams'. Getting back to her computer and finishing the paperwork was her number one priority at this point. "So, what's today schedule?"

"Not much, just paperwork. Unless we get a case, we aren't going anywhere." She said. He frowned and pulled out his phone. She went back to work and he began playing one of his games.

He got bored quickly and began to just stare at her. Her eyebrows were pulled up together, probably frustrated with her work. His eyes outlined her lips and wondered what it would feel like to kiss them. He actually had the privilege to kiss her, but he wanted the real thing; a kiss that wasn't forced or simply used as a distraction. That night was one of the scariest moments in his life. To mess this up would mean the death of his friends and surely theirs as well. Luckily, everything had turned all right. The kiss, and a fantastic one at that, got them inside the building and they were able to save the two detectives. That was a month ago.

"Castle, you're staring. It's creepy." Her voice interrupted his daydreaming and brought him back into reality. He looked down at his phone, faking interest in it once again. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her secretly smiling. They both knew they were physically attracted each other, it was obvious. Their playful banter was evidence to that fact. Heck, everyone knew. There was only one problem, well two.

Josh and Gina

Kate was still with Josh and Castle with Gina. Kate was satisfied with where her relationship with Josh and where it was headed. Well, it was sort of at a standstill right now because he was halfway around the world saving people. Not that she complained out loud, but he wasn't here as much as she wanted him too. Her job also asked her to work ridiculous hours as well, so it was complicated.

Oh, who was she kidding? Castle just smiled at her and she practically melted on the inside.

What was worse is that she didn't know where she and Josh stood; she was too afraid to do anything. If she decided to take a chance with Castle, it would mean that she was putting her heart at risk. Josh was safe, he was ok. She wouldn't have to worry about getting hurt or worry about outsiders looking in. Then again, would that really bother her? As she glanced at Castle, she wondered how things between him and Gina were going.

Rick wasn't doing any better. His relationship with Gina was going down the drain. They had constant fights and always seemed to be mad at each other. It reminded him of when they were married. Arguments seemed to consume their relationship to the point where being in the same room was a pain in the ass. She would always scrutinize what he did or question his intentions. Lately, the nagging had been unbearable and it was becoming more evident that this relationship was going nowhere. To an outsider, who didn't know the dark evil world she provided him, everything seemed ok between them. They both knew, however, it was over. His heart wasn't in it anymore and it was time to end it.

He didn't want ok, he wanted extraordinary. The woman in front of him is the exact thing he desired, but he was too chicken to say anything. Not only that, but she was with somebody.

He couldn't ruin what they had, it wasn't like him. He would be content with just waiting for her, until she told him it was time. He wondered if that would ever happen though, he hoped it would. As things stood, it seemed highly unlikely thanks to motorcycle boy. The present was like re-living last summer all over again. She had Demming when he tried to get to know her, the real Kate Beckett. He invited her to go to the Hamptons with him, but she declined. Well, she had plans; plans that didn't involve him, but rather Demming.

He left for his sake, as well as hers. If Demming was who she wanted to be with fine, but he wouldn't stand there seeing them get closer and closer, it would tear him apart in the end. Like he told Beckett, he and Gina started talking and eventually decided to give it another shot. Now, it just seemed he had made a wrong choice. Gina had been a constant thorn on his side when it came to finishing his book over the summer and lately, she annoyed him every day.

Their trains of thought were interrupted as the precinct elevator opened. Kate and Rick turned their heads as a very pissed off Montgomery stormed into the bullpen. He glanced at Kate and motioned with his head for her to follow him. With a confused looked directed at Castle, she got up and left. Castle was left there by her desk, wondering what the heck was going on. His question was answered as Detectives Ryan and Esposito walked into the precinct.

"Yo" said Ryan. Esposito took a double take and glared at Ryan.

"Dude, that's my line" Ryan just gave him a 'so what look?' and Castle bit his knuckle to stifle a laugh.

"So, care to share with me why Montgomery is so pissed?" asked Castle.

Esposito and Ryan looked at each other and then at Montgomery's office. Castle followed their line of sight and saw a very serious Beckett talking with the captain. She seemed very interested in whatever he was saying, which only made Castle all the more curious.

"We found a body and then another one was given to us," Ryan answered first. Castle put his phone away; his attention was obviously directed at them. He was confused too. Who gave them another body?

"One of them is a senator, Higs, and the other is an Italian mobster Palermo. Higs was found in his apartment in the Upper Eastside, gagged and tied to a chair. He was stabbed multiple times in the chest. Apparently, he died 3 days ago. Other detectives from the 64th were on the case but then they gave it to us because they couldn't crack it. The other guy, Palermo, was found this morning two blocks away from the senator's place. Palermo was killed sometime between 10 pm and 3 am yesterday." Esposito told Castle. He noticed that the writer had a puzzled look on his face.

"Wait, this Palermo guy was killed two blocks away? Is there any connection to the dead senator?"

Ryan shook his head and Esposito took out his pad. "We canvassed the area and all we got were people saying it was dark. No descriptions of anyone suspicious."

Castle shook his head, "Nothing like bland statements to really tick you off." He looked towards Montgomery's office and saw that Beckett was making her way towards them.

She stopped at her desk and grabbed her jacket. "Come on Castle, we have to visit the crime scenes. Ryan and Esposito, stay here and start setting up the murder boards, and call me if anything shows up." The two detectives nodded their heads and began their tasks.

Castle grabbed his coat and looked at Beckett. "What did the captain say?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Do you really wanna know?" Castle nodded and moved closer to hear Beckett's revelation. She inched ever so closely and whispered, "Don't screw it up." With that being said, she began the walk towards the elevator. Castle was left standing at her desk with a shocked look on his face. Whoa! SHE. WAS. SO. CLOSE. Castle was just left there stunned, daydreaming when she called out to him.

"Castle, you coming?" He jogged to the elevator just as it was about to close. He really hoped this case wouldn't take long.

* * *

They arrived at the one of the two crimes scenes, ready to do their own search for pieces of the puzzle. The crime scene was that of the Italian thug, Palermo. It was a dimly lit alley, with piles and piles of trash bags surrounding it. There were markers scattered all over the floor, evidence that CSU found. There wasn't anything suspicious about the alley. There was a fence and the brick walls. There was a door but that was bolted shut from the outside; there was no way anyone could get in or out. Kate made her way to the body where CSU members were taking pictures and found Lanie wrapping up her investigation. The ME saw the duo approach and paused what she was doing.

"Hey Lanie, what do you have for me?"

"As far as I can tell, our Vic here was stabbed couple time in the chest. The fatal blow," she pointed to the victim's chest, "was here. Right here at the heart." Kate moved closer to the body to further inspect the wound. She saw that this gash was made at an angle, surely the killer tried to make sure the vic was dead. She tried to pick up other signs or injuries; maybe he tried to fight back. After seeing that there was nothing else, she gave up.

Castle made his way around the alley, trying to picture how the scene could have unfolded. He walked a few more paces and stopped near the fence. "Our guy was an Italian thug, any signs that he was tortured?"

"As a matter a fact," the ME started, "we do have evidence that his fingers were broken before he was killed." Castle smiled.

Beckett got up and walked to the opposite side of where Castle was standing. "Well, from what CSU reports, no money was taken so that rules out robbery. Looks like this guy here was killed for something, but what?"

Castle looked at the body and his writer light bulb turned on in his head. "Maybe he didn't want to turn over the family business." Beckett and Lanie turned their heads towards him and waited for him to continue. "You know, the family business; the meat shop."

Beckett rolled her eyes and Lanie began to pack up her kit. Deciding that there was no other conclusive evidence that they could find, or use, Beckett motioned to Castle that it was time to go. "Let's go see what the other crime scene has in store for us. This place is pretty much giving us nothing. Lanie, I'll be waiting to see if you find anything else." The ME nodded and they went into their respective cars.

Castle had just opened his passenger door when he asked Kate, "You think the other crime scene is connected with this one?" Beckett looked at him and shrugged.

"If there is a connection, we'll find it. We're just going to look around to see if we can find anything knew. The boys will give us the details that the 64th found when they were here" She started the car and drove to the other crime scene. Minutes later, they parked into the parking deck of the large apartment complex. Walking through the glass doors, they were welcomed by an eerie silence. All the people in the lobby were walking slowly. Everyone had a grieving expression on their faces and didn't bother to see the pair walk towards the reception desk.

Castle felt like it was zombie land, except these zombies weren't starving for human flesh.

A small dark-haired woman looked at the pair walking towards here. Feeling that there was no need to explain why they were here, Beckett flashed her badge. The reception woman nodded and told them to go to the 14th floor. Castle took one more glance around the lobby and he felt sorry for them. For a senator, he was pretty popular, at least in this building.

Beckett and Castle walked towards the elevator and press the 14th floor button. "Why do they always live on the top floor?"

"Easy," Castle said, "Cause they can. Why live down on the ground when your money can help you reach the stars? Not to mention easy access to anything and everything, trust me." Beckett smiled and shook her head. Leave it to Castle to answer her question with the most straight forward answers. Even though they had serious cases, he could always find a way to lighten the mood. It was something she really appreciated about him. So, why was she trying to avoid what she really felt?

'_Because you're with someone already. A good guy, a nice guy.'_ Her mind seemed to answer her. She tried to shake the idea away; not was really not the time to do this.

As the elevator door opened seconds later, Kate noticed something was off; there was a smell in the room. The police tape was cut and there were footprints heading towards and away from the elevator. Before she stepped out, she unclipped her gun holster. Taking a good look around, she felt as if someone had been here. If that was the case, she had to be ready.

She walked out of the elevator and grabbed her gun. "Castle, stay back ok?" She slowly explored every inch of the room, going into other rooms to see if she could find the source of the smell. Castle was about two steps behind her; he wanted to make sure he was a good distance away but not too far in case something happened. He saw her go into the master bedroom, sweeping the room before giving him the clear to go in. Once he walked in, he scanned the room for any sign that someone had been here. When he looked at the wall, he knew he found something. Kate was just walking into the closet when he grabbed her attention.

"Uhh, Beckett..." She turned around at the sound of Castle's confused tone. As she saw what he was staring at, she got a chill through her veins. There were many spray cans just lying on the ground. She slowly walked up to the wall and the smell of spray paint hurt her nose. This is where the foul stench was coming from. Castle walked up next to her and read out loud the message etched on the wall.

"We're watching you."

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Yeah I know another cliffy! I'm sorry if the case details aren't as clear. As I mentioned before, I'm not very good at writing case stuff so be patient. I gotta say though, I'm impressed with the attention my first chapter got. Sure, I maybe didn't get as many reviews I wanted ( ) but I did get many of you guys to put this story on Story Alert so that's a start! Thank you so much for the Alert selection. Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter coming soon….

Also, please leave a review! They'll help me with my story, any suggestions are welcomed!

P.S. Sorry for the long delay and thanks for Nev827 letting me use that line! Once again Tycho, you're amazing!


	3. Chapter 3

_Castle walked up next to her and read out loud the message etched on the wall._

"_We're watching you."_

Not able to take the stench anymore, they both flew out of the room to get some air. The only way for them to get fresh air was to open a window; at least they hoped it worked. Putting some gloves on, Beckett opened a window and looked at the fire escape. The killer would have been desperate to use that fire escape. They were on the 14th floor, why would someone climb down the fire escape this far down if they could just waltz right out the door and use the elevator?

Castle could see a puzzled expression on her face. He knew that look. "What are you thinking?" he asked

She moved towards other windows and tried to pull each one open. Even with all her strength, she couldn't open them except for that one window. "This window was unlocked," she pointed to that one window, "Someone could have used the fire escape after they decided to leave a little message. But, who was the message for?" She bit her lip in frustration, why was only one window opened?

As if reading her thoughts, Castle looked up towards the ceiling and saw a little black box attached to the wall. It was a smooth box with four lit lights and one that wasn't lit. "Look, what if that box indicated what window was opened and which were closed?" Kate looked up and saw what he was talking about. There was a number pad on it, so it meant that a code was required. The ceiling was a good 7 feet high from the ground and the only reasonable way to reach it was to use a ladder. Who punched in the code? Why?

"Castle, I don't know about you, but I'm getting a bad vibe about this. Someone punched in the code to open one window and this said window just _happens_ to be the one near the fire escape? There's something definitely going on here."

"You don't think that message was for us do you?" Castle asked. He was getting kind of worried. Did someone know they were coming? He walked around the room, trying to find some evidence that can pinpoint them in the right direction. He was getting aggravated, he knew they were just here to look around for clues about Senator Higs' murder, but now a message was found on the wall.

"I don't know, the only people that know we are here are the boys, Lanie and Montgomery. I doubt they are involved in some kind of plot to get rid of us." Covering her nose, she made her way back to the master bedroom. She shuffled around some boxes, looked under the bed, and found nothing. Just because she didn't find anything, she was sure CSU did a thorough sweep of the scene. Castle walked in with his nose also pinched shut and took one more glance around the room. Seeing as Beckett was satisfied with this crime scene, he motioned for them to leave. She nodded and quickly headed for the door. The smell was getting to them and she knew she had to get back to the precinct quickly. She hoped that the message and window were clues that would help her solve this case. What was really ticking her off was that the message on the wall was not specifically for anyone, it was just there. That meant that it could have been intended for anyone; the victim or the NYPD. It must've been left by someone who knew the area well, they knew the layout of the apartment because someone was able to punch the code in to unlock the window and climb down the fire escape.

Castle was watching her intently; he knew she was stringing the pieces they just found into a theory. He kept his gazed fixed on her while she was completely oblivious about it. Her eyebrows were furrowed together and she was biting her lip, a definite sign that she was thinking how all these events were related.

He was broken out of his trance when the elevator dinged, signaling their return to the main floor. Once they stepped out, they saw that there were only a few people left. The receptionist was gone, probably taking a break. This place was really starting to give him the creeps, he was glad they were on their way out of here.

* * *

"Hey Esposito, how are we doing on the background checks of the victims?" Beckett threw her jacket on her desk and stood in front of the murder board. She studied it, learning everything she could about the victims. All over the board were notes about who they were, how old they were, and where their crime scene was located. Pictures of them before and after their deaths were on the board as well. For Higs, he was sitting on a chair with his arms behind his back and his head was dangling down. His shirt was soaked with blood and she could see the different places where he was stabbed, including the fatal blow to the heart. Whoever this was, they didn't care if it was messy or organized.

"All that we know is on our board here. Names, ages, and two separate timelines are on the bottom here." Esposito pointed to the timelines and Castle noticed that there were gaps that seemed to jump out to him. "We're checking financials and bringing the wife of this guy Palermo." She nodded and noticed that they were going to have to sift through a lot of information and people to build these timelines.

Ryan was coming towards them with his pad in his hands. "Hey, did you guys notice anything strange at the Senator's place?"

Castle answered to Ryan first, "Yeah, we did actually. When Beckett and I went to the master bedroom first we saw this creepy message on the wall. It said 'We're watching you'."

Esposito snickered and Ryan crossed his arms. "Master bedroom huh? So you guys went directly there first?"

"Yeah Bro, talk about getting straight to the point" Esposito said. They did their famous 'feed the birds' gesture and waited for the duo to respond. Castle just looked away and muttered something about 'that's not how it should've happened.' Thankfully, Beckett didn't hear it.

Beckett had no time for jokes, although it was kind of amusing, and just glared at Ryan. " And speaking about straight to the point, the point about this Ryan is.." she trialed off so Ryan could finish.

Ryan gained his composure and flipped his pad open again. "Right, well, the reason I'm asking is because not long ago a call came in from the same building you guys were just searching. A woman claimed that she was out for a jog out in the city and then remembered that she left her flowers by the window and it was wide open. Fearing for her plants' life she goes back to remove them and noticed that not only are her flowers not there but there were footprints all over her white carpet. Perp must've left through the front door."

"What time was this?" Beckett asked. This could've been where the message came from; the guy did use the window and the fire escape.

Ryan flipped a page before the one he was on and said, "It was about 12:15."

Castle stood up and wrote all this new information about there being a code, and unlocked window, and perp using the fire escape. He wrote the message found in Higs' room and circled it. He capped his marker and turned to everyone. "So our guy punched in the code to unlock the window next to the fire escape, climbs down the fire escape only to find that a window is open. He decides to climb through it, and escape through the front door. No one would recognize him, it's quiet and simple too."

"Alright so, Esposito bring in Palermo's wife and can you make sure that uniforms bring in members of Higs' family and friends, we need to know how the senator was acting before he died. Ryan keep an eye on those financials. We have to see if these two murders are connected in anyway, if there is a connection we'll find it. Meanwhile, we'll go see Lanie and get more details on the bodies. Oh, have CSU go back to the Higs crime scene and photograph that message." Ryan and Esposito nodded and left to do their tasks. Beckett and Castle headed to the elevator and Castle pressed the button that lead to the morgue downstairs.

"You really think there's any connection between a thug and a politician?" Castle asked because they lacked the appropriate evidence to connect these two.

"Castle, this is New York. People eventually connect at some point in their lives. We just have to look at every possibility, no matter how ridiculous it may seem." She turned to look at him and gave him a small smile, trying to reassure him that they were going to be fine.

Castle smiled back and then turned back at the closing elevator doors in front of him.

* * *

Beckett and Castle stepped out of the elevator and walked into the first room on their left. It was filled with many tubes and tables that were mostly empty. On the far end of the room though, the body of their thug Palermo laid on the cold metal table with a white sheet covering from the shoulders down. His blondish hair now looked like a dull yellow and his skin was a pasty white color.

Castle stood on the other side of the room, looking at all the tubes that were filled with an odd color looking liquid. He wanted to know what inside, the writer in him was curious. Looking around, he saw that Beckett was studying the file on the victim and Lanie wasn't anywhere near them. 'Coast clear,' he thought. Quietly, he placed his hands on tube and tried to pick it up slowly. The tube was just a few inches of the table…so close…

"Castle! Put that down or I will somehow make you fit into that tube!" Lanie's voiced made him jump and drop the vile unto the floor. Luckily, it didn't break but his heart was beating so erratically.

"Alright! Alright! Geez, can't a guy have some fun?" Castle set the vile down and went to go stand next to Beckett, he stuck out his tongue at Lanie. She glared at him and turned her attention to Beckett. The detective rolled her eyes and set the file down to get some details from the M.E.

"Autopsy revealed nothing more than what we already knew. A stab to the heart was our COD and there weren't any other wounds on the body. Our thug here did have a few tattoos though. Maybe you recognize them?" Lanie lowered the white sheet so Beckett could see the tattoos on Palermo's forearms.

Beckett looked at the many tattoos and one seemed to jump right out to her. This tattoo was the biggest one of them all. It was the outline of a boot with the Italian flag colored in. It had two swords crossing it in the back and had a small Italian phrase marked under it. _Diavoli _ "Actually Lanie, I do recognize this one." Beckett pointed to it so the other two could see it.

Castle studied it and looked towards Beckett. "Little Devils" Beckett nodded her head and turned to Lanie.

"The Little Diavoli are a small Italian gang made up of mostly Italians who came to this country. They have their headquarters set up in the Lower Eastside and get their hands dirty in anything they can find. Looks like we'll have to find what he did to get himself killed. More importantly, why is member of the Diavoli dead?" Castle's phone rang and excused himself. Beckett picked up the file of the Senator and read that to herself.

Lanie took that opportunity to have some one-on-one time with her best friend. "So, how's it going girl?"

Beckett put the file down and folded her arms. "Oh, nothing just solving this latest case. You?"

Lanie rolled her eyes and grinned, "You know what I mean. How's Motorcycle Boy?" She noticed the detective's eyes glance down at the file and then back up to her.

"He's on another mission, you know saving the world." Lanie could tell her friend's sarcasm was her defense mechanism. Whenever she tried to get Kate to open up, she would put up all these walls and use all kinds of ways to shut people out. Her relationship with Josh, actually she didn't know what to call it, was not helping. Instead of being happy, open, the detective seemed the same, maybe even miserable. Josh's little field trips weren't helping either. Lanie didn't know why Kate was putting up with all of this. Clearly, Kate had to see what she was doing to herself, this wasn't healthy.

"Honey, if your heart isn't in it anymore, why are you with him?" Once the words were out of her mouth, Lanie knew it was futile; Kate wasn't going to give her a straight forward answer.

"Lanie, I can't just leave. I have to fight, for us." The M.E. rolled her eyes. She heard that same excuse one too many times before.

"Yeah, right! Some fight you're putting up. Honestly Kate, you don't give up in anything you do, but this fight was lost a LONG time ago. You're just too stubborn to see it. A relationship is meant to make you happy and sappy all the time. Really, can't you see it?"

"No, I can't. I'm not ready to walk away. I can't just wait for someone to say, 'Hey guess what? I Love you! Let's be sappy! Now, everything is perfect!' Relationships take work Lanie."

"Yeah, they are also meant to be easy, comfortable, and great!" Beckett backed away from the table and ran her hands through her hair.

"Look Lanie, this isn't the time or place. Obstacles will always show up and this is just another obstacle. Let's just drop it ok?" Lanie crossed her arms and looked over Beckett's shoulder. The glass door opened and Castle walked in. He noticed Beckett's rigid stance and Lanie's annoyed attitude. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it when Lanie glared at him. He switched his gaze towards Beckett who was just staring at the floor.

Silence was all that was heard for a few moments before Beckett's cell rang.

"Beckett. Yeah, yeah ok. We're coming." She put her phone away and looked towards Castle. "Palermo's wife is in interrogation, they're waiting for us." She shifted her gaze to Lanie and smiled. "Thanks Lanie."

The Medical examiner just nodded and picked up a bunch of filed that were next to her. The two women looked at each other before Beckett broke the connection and walked towards the exit. Lanie, too, walked away but in the opposite direction. Castle was dumbfounded. In a span of maybe two minutes, the whole world's mood seemed to change.

'What in the heck just happened?' Castle thought to himself.

* * *

A/N

Did I mention that I don't own Castle?


End file.
